Dog Size: Dogs come in a variety
of shapes and sizes. The smallest dog breeds
weigh just a few pounds, while the largest
dog breeds can weigh up to 250 lbs! While
dog breeds may appear quite different, anatomically
they are all the same. All dogs have 321
bones and 42 permanent teeth.

Dog Breeds: There is little agreement
on the actual number of recognized dog breeds.
Designer breeds have developed over the years,
but they are not usually recognized as official
breeds. The AKC (American Kennel Club) recognizes
more than 150 breeds.

Diet: Dogs are classifieds as carnivores,
but they will healthily digest a variety of
foods, including vegetables and grains.

Did You Know?

In 2001 it was
estimated there were 4 million dogs
in the world!

Senses: Dogs have an exceptional sense
of smell, the sensitivity varies from breed to
breed, but it is by far their most developed sense.
They use their sense of smell to identify people,
pets, their environment, prey and much more. Dogs
have good vision, they are able to easily notify
motion or movement in their line of sight, and
there night vision is superior to that of humans.
A dogs sense of taste is not overly developed,
they rely on their sense of smell to determine
if they like something.

Behavior: Dogs are invaluable to humans
in the western world. Dogs have been known to
perform a variety of tasks and fill many roles
for people, such as hunting, herding, pulling
loads, protection, assisting police and military,
companionship, and assisting disabled or handicapped
individuals.

Communication: Dogs communicate using
body movements and vocalizations. They can express
dominance and submission using their body position.
They can vocialize to express fear, excitement
or a number of other emotions.

Dogs also express themselves using their ear
postion, eyes, mouth, nose, head, and tail. They
are really very expressive animals.

Dog Gestation: Dogs carry
their young 56 to 72 days.

Did You Know?

Dogs are said
to sleep an average of 10 hours
a day.

Birth: An average dog litter consists
of 6 puppies, but litter sizes can vary from breed
to breed.

Sexual Maturity: Dogs are sexually mature
between 6-12 months of age.

Life Span: The life span of dogs vary from
breed to breed, in general small dogs tend to have
longer life spans than large breeds. The average
dog life span is 10 - 14 years.

Social Structure: The basic unit of canine
social structure is the pack. Like many animal
social grouping, there is usually a "pecking
order". Some dogs breeds are more social
than others, dogs will assert dominance over other
dogs, problems may occur when two "alpha
dogs" are in the same pack. Some dog behavior
specialists suggest that dogs see their owners
as parts of their pack.

Athleticism: The athleticism of dogs varires
from breed to breed. Some of the hunting, sporting
and working dog breeds are quite athletic and
agile.